EVOC-ing Safety: A is for Acceleration

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How many ambulance crashes can you or your agency afford this year? This column by T.E.A.M. Driving Concepts, Inc. focuses on driving safety to help emergency medical personnel attain the specific knowledge, skills and attitudes for today's highly specialized ambulance operator. Columns are written by the educational staff at T.E.A.M. Driving Concepts Inc.

Acceleration is the A portion of the ABCS of emergency driving safety. Just as the airway must be opened and properly maintained for our pre-hospital patients to survive, so to, acceleration is the first vital component of driving an emergency vehicle.

For the most part, we will only be looking at the concept of accelerating from a stop with a patient on board. Acceleration while in motion is considered a change in speed which we will discuss during the column on S for speed.

When beginning to accelerate, thoughts should immediately change to how and when the operator will stop the vehicle. The old saying of what must go up must come down, is the same for vehicle dynamics; what goes into motion (accelerates), must stop (eventually). Acceleration always involves deceleration at some point and time. But few ever give it a thought when accelerating to their next course of action, that being able to stop.

Accelerating from a stop (with a patient on board) should ALWAYS be performed slowly, smoothly and steadily. "Jack rabbit" starts NEVER benefit the patient. The patient and any passengers should barely know that the vehicle is accelerating. The smoother the ride the more confident and relaxed the patient is, along with better patient assessment, care and treatment. Sudden acceleration can cause equipment and supplies to fall onto the patient or other occupants, causing injuries. Your partner can easily be tossed to the back of the ambulance or within the patient compartment with rapid acceleration, again injuring them or the patient.

Any rapid vehicle movements, whether they be hard accelerating or hard braking indicates danger, excitement and the possibility of crashing. The patients' thoughts turn to "Why are we in such a hurry? Does the driver think I am going to die? Maybe I am really sick." Just as an EMS provider conveys confidence with their voice, body language and movements, so too does the emergency vehicle operator convey confidence, level headedness and maturity when properly applying the ABCS of emergency vehicle driving.

"Jack rabbit" starts indicate:

1) Probable immature driving skills and attitudes
2) The need to hurry and rush
3) Excitement is increasing
4) The operator is intense and highly emotional.

We are not drag strip race car drivers, who when the light turns green take our foot off the brake and slam on the gas. That is what racing is all about. We are first and foremost medical professionals focused on total patient care! I repeat: There are NO advantages to jack rabbit starts with a patient on board!

Realize when you slowly accelerate that you have a longer time frame in which to look about for possible traffic hazards. The operator should always be scanning the sides of the vehicle, left and right and also the rear. A jack rabbit driver has their eyes glued right straight ahead, focused and determined. A vehicle can easily approach from the left or right before the jack rabbit driver ever realizes they are there.

We discussed the disadvantages of jack rabbit starts; now let's look at our friend the turtle, who starts out slowly, smoothly and steadily.